Guam § 4201 - Purposes.

§ 4201. Purposes.

The purpose of this Article is to protect and promote the

welfare of children, natural parents and adoptive parents and

thereby promote the welfare of Guam. To this end, the following

basic safeguards are provided herein:

(a) that the child is legally free for adoption;

(b) that the natural parents’ consent to the adoption or

that the parent-child relationship has been terminated by

judicial decree;

(c) that the child is placed in a proposed adoptive home

by the Division of Children’s Wellness or an adoption agency

duly licensed under Guam law, except in adoptions by close

relatives;

(d) required social studies and consideration of the

reports of these studies by the court prior to judgment on

adoption petitions;

(e) a period of time for the child to live within the

proposed adoptive home under the guidance of the Division

of Children’s Wellness;

(f) new birth certificates following adoption decrees;

(g) authority of the court to order temporary substitute

care for children found in unsuitable homes; and

(h) confidentiality of records.